


Earworm

by lovcats



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Bobby Darin - Freeform, Earworm, Gen, Grover saves the day, Pop music, Splish Splash, early rock-n-roll, musical weapons, pandemonium
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-30 17:00:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3944566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovcats/pseuds/lovcats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Earworms can be dangerously contagious at demigod camp.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Earworm

**Author's Note:**

> [Splish Splash by Bobby Darin](https://youtu.be/4KmKkV3ddAo)

A virulent earworm was spreading through Camp Half-Blood. Chiron started it, of course – he was the owner of that terrible, _terrible_ collection of mid twentieth century pop records which deserved their own room in the armory. 

>   
>  Splish Splash, I was takin' a bath  
>  Long about a Saturday night  
>  A rub-a-dub, just relaxin' in the tub  
>  Thinkin' everything was alright  
> 

He hummed the poptrocity as he stood by the edge of the woods where campers were assembling before Capture the Flag. Percy Jackson became the first victim/carrier. His mom used to sing the Bobby Darin hit when he was little, so he loved it both for the nostalgia and the watery subject matter.

A short time later, Clarisse freaked out when she heard it as she lead a stealth patrol near Percy's position. When she and her team made it back to their rendezvous, she hissed to her teammates, “Look out for Stymphalian birds! We didn't seen any, but we heard Percy singing some horrible thing while we did reconnaissance.” Jason, and three Apollo campers in their flying chariot were their team's air contingent. They agreed to keep a close watch for the monsters.

They didn't see the evil birds, and their team lost _(Styx!)_ but Kayla caught Percy still singing the accursed tune as she stood behind him at dinner, in line for the brazier. 

>   
>  Well, I stepped out the tub, put my feet on the floor  
>  I wrapped the towel around me and I opened the door  
> 

The situation got worse quickly. Percy's proximity to the sacred fire must have spread the thing to the Olympians! Kayla's dad popped in, blowing an obnoxious saxophone as Percy sang.

>   
>  And then I  
>  Splish, splash … I jumped back in the bath.  
>  Well how was I to know there was a party going on?  
> 

“Woo-hoo!” shouted Mr. D. “Yeah, rock-n-roll party!”

Kayla flung her entire plate into the brazier, forgetting her intention to pray, and ran back to her table. A lot of campers had all ready run away from the dining pavilion. “Will!” she shouted to her brother, leader of her cabin. “This is ridiculous! Can you declare a quarantine?” Will was bobbing his head in time to the music. He realized what he was doing, and gulped.

“Yeah, Kayla. Can you call Camp Jupiter for us? Don't stay on the line too long!"

* * *

Reyna barely recognized Kayla, but the girl wouldn't let her speak on the Iris call, interrupting Reyna's attempts to establish her credentials or identity.  
“Quarantine!” gasped the Greek girl. “We've got a pandemonium, like a musical curse or virus, over here. Don't call us, we'll call you. Actually, no – don't take any calls from Camp Half-Blood. Ask the gods when it's safe to contact us again. Not Apollo or Bacchus, they're in on it. I'm counting on our satyrs to take care of us. Now, I gotta cut the line – don't want to contaminate you guys, or Iris!”

* * *

Connor and Travis thought they were helping the situation by leading their cabin in a modern pop singalong. That's not how these things worked, though. Adding One Direction and Nicki Minaj to the mix only made things worse.

Grover finally saved the day, blowing his reed pipes all around camp, which was an ironically calming type of magic, considering he favored heavy metal songs.


End file.
